American Fisheries Society Honors B.A.S.S. Conservation Effort

Montgomery, Ala. - August 27, 2001 - Citing a long history of supporting the protection and management of our natural resources, the American Fisheries Society has presented its Fisheries Management Section Conservation Achievement Award for 2001 to B.A.S.S., the world's largest fishing organization.

"B.A.S.S. is recognized for promoting the now widespread practice of catch-and-release fishing and competitive fishing," said AFS Section President Tim Hess. "B.A.S.S. has served as a model for conducting highly organized events."

In presenting the award, Hess commended "B.A.S.S. Conservation's encouragement of and support into research of the Largemouth Bass Virus, a mysterious killer of the bass species."

The American Fisheries Society, founded in 1870, is a professional organization with more than 9,000 members who promote the conservation development and wise utilization of fisheries, both recreational and commercial.

"This is a great honor because it comes from the grass-roots professionals who manage America's fishery resources," said Bruce Shupp, B.A.S.S. Conservation Director.

"B.A.S.S. is more than a fishing business," added Hess. "B.A.S.S. works with government agencies, private companies, public utilities, and sportfishing and environmental organizations to ensure quality fisheries resources and is an advocate for the sport."

 "We are also very proud of our state B.A.S.S. Federations, which work hard to promote wise management of recreational fisheries resources and, thus, better ensure quality recreational fishing opportunities for today's and tomorrow's anglers," added Shupp. "They all share in this award."          

By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide, B.A.S.S. is the world's largest fishing organization with over 600,000 members and over 2,800 local clubs merged into 51 federations in the United States and abroad. Through its award-winning publications including BASSMASTER Magazine, The BASSMASTERS on ESPN2, conservation efforts, tournaments and the CITGO BASS Masters Classic, B.A.S.S. continues to set the standard for serving the needs of anglers as well as the outdoor recreation industry, while protecting our natural resources, as it has since its beginnings in 1968. B.A.S.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of ESPN.

For more information contact:
Anna Morgan
B.A.S.S. Communications
(334) 272-9530